System and method for permitting sterile operation of a sedation and analgesia system

Abstract

The present invention relates to the sterile operation of a sedation and analgesia system. The present invention provides a sedation and analgesia system that can be operated by clinicians involved in medical procedures within a sterile field without contaminating the sterile field. For a variety of systems, the invention provides a sedation and analgesia system that may be accessed within a sterile field by a clinician involved in a medical procedure.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.l19(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 378,045, "System and Method for Permitting Sterile Operation of a Sedation and Analgesia System," filed May 16, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.[0002] Not ApplicableREFERENCE TO A "MICROFICHE APPENDIX"[0003] Not Applicable[0004] 1. Field of the Invention[0005] The present invention relates, in general, to the sterile operation of medical systems and, more particularly, to the sterile operation of sedation and analgesia systems.[0006] 2. Description of Related Art[0007] A sedation and analgesia systems has been developed to provide patients undergoing painful, uncomfortable or otherwise frightening (anxiety inspiring) medical or surgical procedures with a means for receiving sedative, analgesic, and / or amnestic drugs safely in a way that reduces the risk of overmedication whether or not a licensed anesthesia provider is present. Using significant advances...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is about a system and method for safely operating a sedation and analgesia system in a sterile field without contaminating the sterile field or breaching aseptic conditions. This is achieved by using a user interface that allows clinicians to control the system through a touch-sensitive computer monitor or keypad, or by using a sterile screen or sleeve to access the system. The system is designed to be operated at drug level effects less than general anesthesia without an anesthesia provider, providing a cost-effective and readily available means of sedation, amnesia, and analgesia for procedures where sedation and analgesia may be necessary but anesthesia providers are not available. The invention helps to prevent contamination in surgical procedures and reduces the need for multiple personnel to perform medical procedures."

Problems solved by technology

Even with all this preparation and attention to sterilization, a significant percentage of surgical procedures result in wound infections.

A contributing factor to the contamination of many medical environments lies in the difficulty of providing sterile instruments within the surgical field that may be touched by clinicians without contaminating the patient.

Non-anesthetist practitioners performing medical procedures are generally precluded from participating in the operation of anesthesia systems due to this complexity, which often results in an increase in the number of personnel that are necessary to perform a medical procedure involving anesthesia.

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